The Bottom Shelf Review

My earliest memory? Oh so faint
So much energy with such delight
Feeling free, ready to see the world
Extending and growing each branch
individually and carefully
As each year goes by, each branch
adds on another branch
Some years better than others,
leaving nothing behind
With such delicate care now and awareness,
Stretching throughout for years to come
Why not sooner though?

The aggressive winds and strong storms
Some days worse than others,
Yet I still hold on so mighty to the roots below me
Feelings of pain and regret still fill some branches
Each branch telling a different story
Some better than others, yet somehow they’re still here
A few more damaged than others
Some put through severe cold
Tornadoes, heat waves, rainstorms and so much more
But my branches and roots don’t disappear
Rather they grow.

The trees nearby continue to grow
Leaving no room for sunlight or even
More room for me to grow
As their leaves lightly blow,
Hitting each leaf individually
along the trails
My leaves began to droop down
From the lack of sunlight
Covering each branch
Every branch began to look green, no wood in sight

Then all of a sudden one night,
An older tree standing tall
Looking so young without hiding a branch at all
I saw this tree show their colors
Without any sign of losing life.
Wishing I had the same growth, it felt like it was
Almost over.
My wood began to grow painful, but I wasn’t fully grown
No peak height, but rather only beginning

One day the pain in my wood started to disappear
No insects crawling inside
No birds ripping me apart
I could feel me each individual part
Each branch and bark, slowly
Felt like it was drifting away and,
Falling apart
Waiting patiently, I began my journey
I let nature choose to help me
Slowly getting some sunlight in,
Some rain,
And even some wind.

Slowly I noticed I began to start,
Gaining some color back into my leaves
Gaining some strength back into my branches
Yet the roots were still dry and still forgotten
Enjoying things I once loved before
Hearing the grass sway
The wind roaring, but most importantly
No more leaves rustling throughout the wind.
I began to provide more and do my part

My branches may look weak but
May they not be forgotten
For what I once had wanted to have been gone
Suddenly, I don’t want it to disappear
The activities seen on a day to day
Cars moving and grass swaying
Nothing loved more than that one elder tree
Who ever so kindly had brought me light
Some of my patterns may seem sort of off
Think, no tree should look so worn down
But I am not a worn down tree
I am far above a worn down tree
I am a tree who has seen a storm
I am a tree who has heard the leaves of other,
Larger, and stronger trees, moving in the wind.
I am a tree who survived the blizzard

I am still standing here strong as ever
Yes, I may look busted and broken
But don’t be mistaken for the looks of my branches
I may look like a worn down tree
But this tree is stronger on the inside
Battling heavy winds back to back
In the future the tree I will be
Not weak or hollow
But strong and full
I may not be there yet
And that is okay
But there comes to be a day
Where the tree will be more than okay